Posts Tagged ‘Vegetarian’

Recently while I was in Owen Sound, I visited one of my favourite cafes – The Bleeding Carrot. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend dropping by. Everything I’ve tried on their menu has been amazing. So when I asked the owner what was one of the most popular sandwiches he said, the Maple Tempeh Sandwich — it’s like a BLT but uses tempeh instead of bacon. He was quite convincing because for one, I’ve never really liked bacon so have never ordered a BLT, and secondly hadn’t tried tempeh, so I wasn’t sure if I would like it. Glad he urged me to do so. It was so good, I asked him what he used and he was kind enough to show me the package.

Marinated Tempeh by Turtle Island Foods.The people who brought you Tofurky, have also created an entire line of tempeh products. The Smoky Maple Bacon is the one I enjoyed in the sandwich so when I was in the store and saw the Sesame Garlic, I grabbed that one and the Coconut Curry, too. PRODUCT NOTES Just like bacon, the tempeh comes in strips that need to be fried up. Some, like the Coconut Curry, are heavily coated in marinate, which makes them a bit sticky when you’re peeling them apart. While we’re big fans of curries – the seasoning in this one wasn’t up to par, so much so we were afraid to try the others. Thankfully we took the plunge. BOTTOM LINE As for the flavours – Smoky Maple Bacon and Sesame Garlic – they were winners all around. Great in sandwiches, stir-fries and just as a side dish as part of a big breakfast.

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While I’ve always enjoyed eating falafels, some friends have said that when they have falafel, they feel awful. Not so with these tasty little bites. So grab a pita or wrap and assemble your favorite salads, dips or stuffings together, and get ready to enjoy a lovely Mediterranean meal.

We’ve tried many different varieties of falafel over the years – from the mix your own kits to the pre-made variety. So far, these are the best we’ve found plus they’re organic. Perhaps it’s because they use organic ingredients they taste better! PRODUCT NOTES They look more like little pucks than veggie balls but have an authentic taste and include an organic tahini sauce – something you don’t see everyday. Having a bake option also means they’re far less greasy than the fried ones. BOTTOM LINE As a busy mom, I can’t stress how great it is to find quality organic foods you can keep in your freezer. It’s a wonderful convenience to be able to whip up a nutritious meal quickly and easily that you know your family will enjoy.

We’re big cereal eaters in our home and have come to enjoy many of the organic and non-GMO varieties that Nature’s Path makes. And anytime we see something new and organic at Costco, we’re quick to snap it up, as it’s often less expensive than at the health food store.

Hemp and chia seeds have already made their way into our home, as we continue to discover their many uses, so we were eager to see how this cereal measured up. PRODUCT NOTES As soon as you open the bag, a wonderful waft of vanilla greets your nose. The cereal itself is just as flavourful but you have to wait and let the seeds soak unless you want to crack a tooth. BOTTOM LINE My picky teenager absolutely loves it mixed with almond yogurt while I like to use it as a cereal topping since the recommended amount seems a tad skimpy to me for a proper breakfast on it’s own. But if you’re looking for quick convenience and are the type who rushes each morning in a mad dash to get out the door, you might find this cereal a bit hard to chew.

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I’ve finally found an organic ground beef substitute! When I stumbled upon this non-GMO-verified version from Sol Cuisine, I couldn’t wait to try it in my usual recipes such pasta sauces, stir fry’s and Sheppard’s Pie.

We eat a lot of soy products, so I try to find organic ones wherever possible since I discovered that soy is one of the most genetically modified (GMO) foods out there. This ground is also vegan and gluten free. PRODUCT NOTES Looks and tastes as good, if not better, as the other veggie grounds we’ve used in the past. My family devoured the spaghetti sauce I made. Not even a speck of it was leftover for lunches the next day. BOTTOM LINE Lately, I haven’t been able to find this product in my regular supermarket although I noticed they do carry other Sol Cuisine products. I’ll have to shop around, as it’s too good to pass up. More importantly, we don’t want the GMOs that you get in regular soy products or other foods for that matter.

If you don’t already own one – buy a rice cooker! It will make your life so much easier, unless of course you like watching and waiting for water to boil. TIP: Always wash or rinse rice before cooking to remove less than pristine grains and starch. Rice requires equal parts water to rice but quinoa and basmati rice usually need more (half a cup extra water for every cup rice). This quick and easy salad uses whatever items you have on hand. If you have more time, by all means julienne or fancy cut your vegetables and make your own salad dressing.

Method
Wash rice and cook according to instructions or use rice cooker adding 5 cups water. Meanwhile rinse chickpeas, dice or julienne vegetables and place in large mixing bowl. Once rice is cooked, cool 5 minutes and fluff. Place in mixing bowl and combine with vegetables. Add salad dressing to taste. Serve warm or cold.

When I met my husband about 20 years ago, he’d already been a vegetarian for about a decade – well the type of vegetarian that still eats fish, eggs and dairy. This suited me fine as I had some experience from other vegetarians I knew, and it was fun to try new foods and recipes together.

Slowly over time, and as our family expanded with the birth of our daughter, he somehow strayed and reintroduced meat and chicken into his diet. We were always pretty healthy eaters but as time passed, we made a conscious effort to move towards organic, whole foods. Who wants to eat all those toxins anyways?

It’s funny how people rarely think of health issues, until they’ve fallen ill and would do anything to feel better again. One thing that makes a lot of sense to us is our interconnected with the environment and food we eat. How can we not be? Do we really believe we can poison our land, air and water and that it won’t affect us? While we might turn a blind eye to pesticides, factory farming, genetic modifications and the like, these things have no problem finding us. Notice the increases in cancers and sickness everywhere? I don’t think it’s a coincidence.

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